I strongly disagree. There have been many studies that show that a gay male will experience difficulties being gay in an environment such as a pro locker room. By outing him you may end up limiting career opportunities for him.

Discrimination of this type is illegal. I don't think you can hold the media responsible for others acting illegal as a result of the information they reveal.
Also, there are plenty of things that have no bearing on your ability to perform your job, and you're not protected from discrimination based upon. These things are fair game, and potentially more damaging.

Originally Posted by patman

If the player wanted his sexual preference known, he would announce it.

There are a lot of things players don't want known that the media would love to dig up. Why is sexual orientation special. Furthermore why is homosexuality specifically special. Would you make the same argument for polygamist relationships?

Originally Posted by patman

I always hated the radical gay position that believed that exposing prominent gay people it would make it easier for other people to come out.

This has no bearing on my opinion whatsoever. I tend to agree with you, that it's a crappy thing to have happen. I just don't believe it's any different than - say reporting an affair an player may be having. Or revealing a pregnancy before it's intended anyone know. Why should cromartie be subjected to questions about all his kids, and ridiculed because he had a lapse whilst rattling off their names, but if your a homosexual any media attention is immoral and wrong?

Idk...I don't think it should be out there, it has absolutely no bearing on football matters, which is the problem these days with the media (especially the mainstream media and Jets beat writers)...it's like TMZ of sports, educated fans don't want to listen to their babble anymore...it's a disgrace

Discrimination of this type is illegal. I don't think you can hold the media responsible for others acting illegal as a result of the information they reveal.
Also, there are plenty of things that have no bearing on your ability to perform your job, and you're not protected from discrimination based upon. These things are fair game, and potentially more damaging.

There are a lot of things players don't want known that the media would love to dig up. Why is sexual orientation special. Furthermore why is homosexuality specifically special. Would you make the same argument for polygamist relationships?

This has no bearing on my opinion whatsoever. I tend to agree with you, that it's a crappy thing to have happen. I just don't believe it's any different than - say reporting an affair an player may be having. Or revealing a pregnancy before it's intended anyone know. Why should cromartie be subjected to questions about all his kids, and ridiculed because he had a lapse whilst rattling off their names, but if your a homosexual any media attention is immoral and wrong?

Yes, he should be ridiculed for not knowing his kids names. And in being a poster boy for being a non-involved father. There is no more irresponsible behavior that a man can do that is legal.

If you expose a socially frowned upon although legal act, what is the reason for doing so. What do you mean "fair game" it is not fair or morally justifiable.
Polygamy is Illegal, Being a homosexual is not, I am having trouble understanding the analogy you make. Homosexuality is special because a lot of people still refuse to accept what consenting adults do legally is of no concern of theirs.

And just because you cant find someone legally responsible for inciting an illegal act you can still find them morally culpable.

Yes, he should be ridiculed for not knowing his kids names. And in being a poster boy for being a non-involved father. There is no more irresponsible behavior that a man can do that is legal.

If you expose a socially frowned upon although legal act, what is the reason for doing so. What do you mean "fair game" it is not fair or morally justifiable.
Polygamy is Illegal, Being a homosexual is not, I am having trouble understanding the analogy you make. Homosexuality is special because a lot of people still refuse to accept what consenting adults do legally is of no concern of theirs.

And just because you cant find someone legally responsible for inciting an illegal act you can still find them morally culpable.

Ridiculing Cro is fair game.

What would be out of line would be following him to a park and photographing him with his "family" for no other reason other than some sort of weird spectacle tabloid interest because he has so many kids.

It is only correct since the NYDN, like the Post, should continue to focus on tabloid topics like this one. Also, they should tell us who is dating who, who has gained weight, and have periodic issues showing who looks best in bikinis and how Katie Holmes fits into the picture.

No, but it would be okay for the NY Times because they are a well respected liberal news organization. and it would be okay to out a patriot that was gay.

BTW just like anything else, it's not usually the basic facts that people are prejudice about, but the way people tend to act. In other words, no one cares if your gay, but if you're going to be flamboyant, obnoxious, and overly dramatic, then I have a right to be uncomfortable around you.

What would be out of line would be following him to a park and photographing him with his "family" for no other reason other than some sort of weird spectacle tabloid interest because he has so many kids.

But give the NYDN time. They'll get to it eventually.

I would love to see that and would applaud Cro and so i believe would everyone else.

Seeing him taking part in his children's lives would serve as a model for other
young males that believe that it is ok to breed like an alley cat and not be their for his children when they need a dad and not somebody 3000 miles away that cuts checks so he does not go to jail.

I just hope the judge is putting enough of his salary in escrow trust so that these 11 kids can have a shot at college when he is retired in 7 years.

No, but it would be okay for the NY Times because they are a well respected liberal news organization. and it would be okay to out a patriot that was gay.

BTW just like anything else, it's not usually the basic facts that people are prejudice about, but the way people tend to act. In other words, no one cares if your gay, but if you're going to be flamboyant, obnoxious, and overly dramatic, then I have a right to be uncomfortable around you.

If a person acted like that and was straight we would avoid him also. What the question was, would it be ok to out somebody that gave no reason to believe that he was homosexual. I don't think they are any homosexual players who act feminine in the locker room.

Discrimination of this type is illegal. I don't think you can hold the media responsible for others acting illegal as a result of the information they reveal.
Also, there are plenty of things that have no bearing on your ability to perform your job, and you're not protected from discrimination based upon. These things are fair game, and potentially more damaging.

Illegal is far different than reality, at least 3 times per year you hear of an athlete say that he wouldn't accept a gay player on his team. Most recently Torii Hunter said it a few weeks ago. A team could decide that the distraction is not worth it at the professional level if other players complain or act differently on the field.

The added pressure of being the "first" gay athlete is also somewhat overwhelming. I think everyone on the board can agree that there are gay athletes in major sports, not a single current team athlete (or any active athlete any any time) has been out of the closet. If they do make a mistake and get caught by a newspaper. Well, I'd say it's pretty likely that the newspaper is ending their career in short order.

There are a lot of things players don't want known that the media would love to dig up. Why is sexual orientation special. Furthermore why is homosexuality specifically special. Would you make the same argument for polygamist relationships?

I don't really understand this comparison at all. I don't think anyone was talking about gay marriage here. If there are pictures with a NFL player making out with another guy, that's comparison with a guy making out with a lady at a bar.

Even if they are both married, it's not really a scandal if they are cheating, and I don't think the locker room (or fans) would be particularly outraged. Unless there are a pictures of a 2nd wedding with another woman how does that compare.

This has no bearing on my opinion whatsoever. I tend to agree with you, that it's a crappy thing to have happen. I just don't believe it's any different than - say reporting an affair an player may be having. Or revealing a pregnancy before it's intended anyone know. Why should cromartie be subjected to questions about all his kids, and ridiculed because he had a lapse whilst rattling off their names, but if your a homosexual any media attention is immoral and wrong?

1. While we don't know the whole story of Cromartie on Hard Knocks. He was on camera answering the question. The original point was about "getting caught", this Cromartie actually announcing his children's names on camera. Similarly, if a gay person did this, then he would expect to get some scrutiny.

2. Not supporting 12 kids (13?) from 11 mothers (12?) does deserve ridicule in society. But, it doesn't have a negative affect on his career (though he will be bankrupt after his career is over). At the time it was ridiculed because the guy didn't remember the name of his children.

Simply put, Cromartie isn't the first NFL player to have multiple kids out of wedlock - that was a choice he made. A gay football player would be the first of his kind, and that would pushed upon him by a newspaper.

A newspaper does what it does. Again, as far as I know, a reputable newspaper has never outed an athlete, I'm guessing that because gay athletes know they have to be very careful about the damages.